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Reference Series performance in a small package
Despite its compact size, Klipsch's RC-42 II center channel speaker proudly carries on the Reference Series tradition. With its exceptional clarity and engaging soundstage, the RC-42 II reveals every word, every detail in your favorite movies. Use the included feet to tilt the RC-42 II up or down, so you can aim it precisely at your listening position.

Horn technology for "front row" sound
All Reference Series II speakers feature a redesigned version of Klipsch's famous horn-loaded tweeter. Because high-frequency sounds are more directional than bass frequencies, it's especially important to target them right toward your ears. Klipsch places their titanium tweeter inside a flared opening, known as a "horn," which disperses the highs evenly across your listening area in a 90°-wide, 60°-high pattern. With their Series II speakers, Klipsch has redesigned the shape and slope of their famous horn enclosure, so your movie soundtracks and music will sound more "open," with improved dynamics and efficiency. All in all, you can count on powerful, "front row" sound that's crystal-clear at all volume levels.

High-tech driver design
The RC-42 II also uses newly machined, light-yet-rigid Cerametallic woofers to produce smoother mids and tighter bass. The specially treated aluminum in the cones help to dampen unwanted vibrations and reduce distortion, while an integrated dustcap gives them a cleaner look and adds stability. And the rigid, braced cabinet comes in a handsome woodgrain vinyl finish.

Check out the rest of our Klipsch lineup to build a complete Reference Series II home theater system. And don't forget to add a Klipsch subwoofer for high-impact bass.

Your home theater's most important speaker

The center channel speaker is the workhorse in a home theater system. It has to reproduce clear dialogue and special effects that keep your eyes and ears glued to the movie action. A high-quality center speaker is a great investment for any surround sound setup. Try to choose one that's as closely matched as possible to your front right and left speakers, so that as sound moves across the front stage, it stays seamlessly realistic.

Product Research

Driver Technology

Highly-Efficient Design: The Klipsch RC-42 II utilizes a
highly efficient design to produce more output using less power & energy for
louder sound with less distortion. The RC-42 II is able to fill smaller rooms
with outstanding, accurate, non-fatiguing sound that you can listen to for
hours.

Tractrix Horn Tweeter: The RC-42 II features an
exclusive Tractrix Horn which provides a more genuine, lifelike sound. In
addition, behind each horn lies a 1.0-inch titanium tweeter with a linear travel
suspension for open, natural, sound.
The Tractrix Horn delivers a 90-degree wide by 60-degree high dispersion pattern
for a broader sound-stage.

Cerametallic Woofer: The dual 4.0-inch woofers of
the RC-42 II
center channel loudspeaker features Klipsch's distinctive, copper-colored Cerametallic
material. Made with an anodized aluminum, this cone is strong and dent
resistant. The anodizing process converts its inner and outer surfaces to
ceramic. The outcome is a rigid cone with superb damping characteristics that
will not flex or resonate at frequencies within the woofer's operating range The
4.0-inch woofers
also employ a rubber surround for added durability.

Magnetic Grille: The center channel loudspeaker features a
removable magnetic grille which easily snaps into place over its cast-aluminum
front baffle. The speaker can be used with or without its grille in place.

Connections

Binding Posts: The Klipsch Reference Series RC-42 II is
equipped with sturdy binding posts to ensure a secure connection to many
types of cable and connectors. The binding post terminals will accept banana
plugs (single only), pin-connectors, spade-connectors, and bare wire.

Mounting Options

Placement: The RC-42 II should be centered directly above or below your
video screen. If necessary, you can place the speaker on an optional floor stand
in front of and below the screen that elevates it to the correct height.
Ideally, however, the speaker's front baffle should be flush with the front of
the screen.

Rubber Feet: The center channel speaker comes with six self-adhesive
rubber feet to secure the speaker in place and prevent any damage to your
stand's or shelf's surface.

Note: The rubber feet add approximately 0.3125" to the height of
each speaker.

Adjustable Angle: If the center speaker is well above or below the ear height of seated listeners,
you can improve performance by angling the center channel slightly to
compensate. Included with the speaker is an
adjustable foot that you can screw into one of the two threaded inserts on the bottom of the
cabinet. To tilt the speaker down, install the foot in the insert near
the back of the cabinet; to tilt the speaker up, install the foot in
the insert near the front of the cabinet.

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At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to
find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research
team. They verify what’s in the box, check the owner's manual, and record
dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies
to help people make informed choices.

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Review Guidelines for more information. We reserve the right (but are not
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Very good, not great

I bought this center channel speaker because it paired with the satellites I already had, which I love. This center speaker has typical excellent Klipsch quality and the sound is clean and clear. However, it doesn't wow me. My room is quite large and perhaps I am just asking too much of the 4" speakers. If I were to do it over again, I think I would go with the next size up, RC-52. But if you have a small room, you should be very happy with this speaker.

GREAT SOUND

Bought klipsch tower speakers and bookshelf speakers for a new yamaha reciever. Had a yamaha center speaker figured i would replace it with this klipsch the differance is incredible the klipsch is so clear sounding great buy

Klipsch Center Channel RC-42 II

This 'new' Center Channel (although, not the top of The Klipsch Line) is a vast improvement to the low-end original speaker that was a part of my original Klipsch Home Theater Speaker System. I am MORE than pleased, especially when watching a Program / DVD / Movie etc. and the dialogue eminates from that center channel...I can now clearly hear and understand ALL of the sounds (especially talking) coming from that channel. I am MORE than pleased with this unit AND the efficient service of Crutchfield.

Center Channel speaker upgrade

I needed to replace an inferior center channel speaker in my surround system because my wife and I were not hearing the center sounds as well as we thought we should. What a difference this jewel made; even before any break-in period. It brought the music to life, giving us notes and sounds we'd missed before. Now I'm considering replacing my front surrounds with a pair of Klipsch Reference RF-52 II (cherry) speakers and moving the present front to the back.

Pros:Clear sounds, both instrumental and vocal. Better surround effects with the added clarity. No apparent distortion when we crank it up.

Fantastic set up

I finally pulled the trigger and upgraded from my "Home theater in a box"

After some extensive research I went with this combo:

Onkyo TX-NR626

Klipsch r 1800-C Klipsch rc 42 II Klipsch rf 42 II Klipsch rw 12 II I have nothing but good things about this set up. I have a smaller theater room (13x16) from casual TV watching to high volume action movies the quality of sound is truly fantastic. Setup was a breeze including mounting the R-1800-C's in the ceiling, I think it took me longer to get in and out of the attic than it did to actually install the speakers.

VerY Pleased

Purchased Klipsch speakers to replace an old theater in a box system. There is no comparison and sound is nothing short of amazing. After also comparing Bose and Polk - Klipsch won out on sound quality and value. They brought our movie viewing experience to a whole new level. Very pleased with this purchase.

Klipsch center channel

Klipsch reference RC-42 II speaker added to 2nd home theatre set up. Great sound, crisp & clear. Paired with new RB-61 II front channels for an awesome set up. '84 Heresy's make up rear speakers. Great system!

This speaker is labeled as entry level but it sounds excellent for its size, it's not too big and what I like the most about it is the sound quality, it's very crisp you can hear someone in the background opening a candy wrapper. Wow tremendous. I recommend them to anyone, I combined them with the RF-42 floor standing speakers and believe me it is brutal. I had some Infinity Beta 50 with an Infinity C360 center channel, I know that the Infinity's are big but the clarity of sound that the Klipsch have is brutal and it doesn't bother me that they are small, I am very happy with these Klipsch.

Pros:extream crisp sound, sexy speaker when take off the cover and LOUD for it size

Cons:nothing really!

Crutchfield response on Tuesday, February 25, 2014Translation provided by Crutchfield's Spanish Sales & Support team. Visit our new Spanish-language site at www.crutchfieldenespanol.com.

A Definite Upgrade

The Klipsch center channel paired with our Klipsch bookshelf speakers has been a definite upgrade to our home entertainment experience. Paired with a Polk Audio subwoofer with wireless kit, we now feel the movies like never before.

Klipsch Reference RC-42 II

Great center channel speaker for a small to mid-size room; if you have a really large space get the larger center channel speakers. Have not had any issues with this speaker. A good match for my other Klipsch Reference speakers.

Center Channel Sweetness

I wanted to replace an older / cheaper Polk center channel with a higher quality unit. I have upgraded all the other parts of my system with Polk Towers (55Ts and 60s) and a Polk Pro 660wi Sub. I love the sound of Polk equipment, and would have purchased one to upgrade the center channel too, but they were all too wide to fit in my entertainment center. The Klipsch RC-42 II fits perfectly and blends very well sonically with my other gear. The RC-42 is very smooth sounding, with surprisingly good lower mids, and the excellent crisp clear highs that Klipsch is renowned for. Perfect for a center channel.

Pros:Nice clear mids and highs.
Smaller foot print than most competitors.
Great price.

Cons:Don't expect much bass (but that isn't what they were designed for).

Amazing

Never knew what I was missing in a center channel until i had this Klipsch, I can hear all the dialog i was missing in my movies and video games. I would recommend this center channel for anyone that wants good quality home audio.

Klipsch Reference RC-42 II

I was originally going to order the 52 II but then I thought, "I'm chiefly using this for movies." So I went with the 42 II with the thought that I can always exchange it for the 52 II if I was not happy. I built a home theater room with an Epson 3020, Elite 92 inch screen, Denon 1909 (this receiver is powerful) and this Center Channel 42 II with some old Sony speakers and coupled with a powerful Polk PW-505 Sub-woofer. When I played King Kong (blueray) I was floored with the dialogue this center speaker was able to produce. I heard every detailed. I can hear the actors speak in the background clearly without straining to hear what they were saying. In conclusion, this speaker commands well. The dialogue is crisp. The 42 II seems like it can handle a lot of power not to mention it is handsome without the cover. So if you are looking for a center channel that can produce astounding vocals with clarity and without breaking the bank this is for you. (By the way I did hear the 62 II before and although it is much more powerful I think the 42 II still commands well)

Klipsch RC-42 II

The RC-42 is a relatively small center channel, but offers surprisingly good detail and depth. I have a larger discontinued Klipsch center in my primary theater room that offers everything someone could hope for. If you are expecting large sound from a center channel, do not stop at the RC-42. Klipsch technical reps suggested I go with the RC52 for my secondary needs, but size constraints forced me to the 42. I am happy with it and think it is a great deal and would recommend it to everyone. I have it paired with Legacy Klipsch speakers I bought 24 years ago, and am delighted every time I play my video games, or watch movies.

great

These speakers are great! I have them paired with the klipsch reference 6.1 bookshelf speakers and they absolutely destroy the yamaha and dayton audio speakers I had. Sound great for home theater and music.

Great Addition!

This is a perfect addition to my Klipsch system w/sub & RF 42 towers & Denon AVR 1910....alll from Crutchfield and a superb Sony Blue-ray. Videos are fantastic! Crutchfield service and knowledge rocks!

The little speaker that could

Purchaced this center channel speaker to match my Klipsch RB61II that I have for my front Left and Right channels and it sounds great. Size was an issue in my cabnet and this fit perfectly without compromising on sound quality. I highly recommend this speaker.

Klipsch RC-42 II

I wanted a center channel speaker for my television entertainment unit to complement the Klipsch RB-51 speakers I had previously brought about a year ago. I had limited shelf space width and could not find a center channel speaker under 19 inches. The RC-42 was perfect.

Pros:Sound quality is excellent and the color and style is the same as the RB-51 speakers I already had. The entire set-up provides me with outstanding televison sound.

Choose Category

You'll need wire to connect your center channel speaker to your amp or receiver.Cut your speaker wire to the exact length you need with a spool of bulk speaker wire. No wire is included with this speaker.

Add connectors to your bulk speaker wire for a neater, easier, and more reliable installation.